～かな / ～かしら

How it works

～かな turns a plain-form statement into a question you are asking yourself, out loud: “I wonder if…”, “…I guess?”. Because you are officially just musing, the listener can answer or stay quiet, which makes かな a gentle way to ask something without putting anyone on the spot. ～かしら does the same job but is traditionally feminine, and to younger ears it can sound genteel or old-fashioned; かな is used by everyone.

• Verbs and い-adjectives take かな in plain form: 降るかな、来たかな、寒いかな。
• Nouns and な-adjectives attach without だ: 本当かな、大丈夫かな、先生かな (the past keeps its copula: 学生だったかな).
• With a question word it becomes an open musing: 何かな、誰かな、どこに置いたかな。
• With a volitional it weighs your own options: 何を食べようかな。
• ～ないかな with 早く or a hoped-for event means “I hope…”: 早く来ないかな。
• Adding の (～のかな) makes it an explanatory musing: どうして遅いのかな。 After a noun or な-adjective the の needs な in front of it: 本当なのかな、大丈夫なのかな。

かな is casual. In polite speech, especially to someone above you, wonder with ～でしょうか instead: 明日は雨でしょうか。

Examples

• 明日は雨が降るかな。（あした は あめ が ふる かな）— I wonder if it will rain tomorrow.
• この漢字、何て読むのかな。（この かんじ、なんて よむ の かな）— I wonder how you read this kanji.
• 田中さんはもう帰ったのかな。（たなかさん は もう かえった の かな）— I wonder if Tanaka has already gone home.
• 早く週末にならないかな。（はやく しゅうまつ に ならない かな）— I wish the weekend would hurry up and come.
• この服、私に似合うかしら。（この ふく、わたし に にあう かしら）— I wonder if this outfit suits me.
• 今日は何を食べようかな。（きょう は なに を たべよう かな）— What shall I eat today, I wonder.

Compare with

• Plain ～か？: 雨が降るか？ is a blunt, mostly masculine direct question; 降るかな asks the same thing softly and leaves room for “no idea”.
• ～でしょうか: the polite way to wonder or to ask tentatively; use it with teachers, clients and bosses, where かな would sound too familiar. ～だろうか is its plain-form cousin, typical of writing and of thinking to yourself, not of polite speech.
• ～かもしれない: states a possibility as a conclusion (“it may rain”); かな keeps the matter open as a question you have not answered yet.

Traps for Spanish, English and French speakers

• Spanish wonders with the future (¿Lloverá mañana?) and French with a plain rising question (Il va pleuvoir demain ?), so learners reach for a bare plain form + か: ✗ 明日、雨が降るか？ sounds abrupt and rather macho even among friends. Wondering aloud takes かな: ○ 明日、雨が降るかな。
• Spanish es and French est are never dropped, so learners feel 大丈夫かな is missing its verb and put the copula back: ✗ 大丈夫だかな ✗ 学生だかな。 Before か and かな the present copula disappears: ○ 大丈夫かな ○ 学生かな (only the past keeps it: 学生だったかな).
• English speakers treat かな as a neutral “I wonder” and tack it onto polite forms for a boss: ✗ 部長、明日は休みですかな。 ですかな is old-man speech; wonder politely with でしょうか: ○ 明日は休みでしょうか。
• ～ないかな after 早く or a wished-for event is a hope, not a negative question: 早く週末にならないかな means “I wish the weekend would come”, not “I wonder if the weekend won't come”. English speakers who translate the ない literally get the sentence backwards.